Mark VanDeven

"Mark?" His mother called to him from the other room.

"Can't talk now. TV talking." Mark smirked, knowing that it annoyed his mother when he quoted the television, especially The Simpsons.

"Help your brother with the chores." She wasn't amused. Mark sighed and trudged into the kitchen.

He found his older brother, by two years, standing near the stove staring with wide-eyed amazement at the pan that dinner was supposed to be in. Now normally a pan with chicken in it is not all that interesting, but when the chicken happens to be on fire, it's a whole different story. "Holy shit!" Mark ran forward and grabbed the fire extinguisher off the wall.

"What is it?" Their mother didn't bother entering the kitchen, she knew better. Once upon a time their mother had had a nervous breakdown from the pressures of trying to raise two boys by herself, but now she knew better. She just didn't ask and the boys took care of it…or the boys got grounded.

"Nothing mom!" Andrew stepped back letting Mark get closer. As soon as his younger sibling started spraying, he covered the pan with it's lid. They waited a few seconds before cautiously lifting the lid. The fire was out, but the chicken was black…and coated in whatever that white stuff is that comes out of a fire extinguisher.

"Really boys, I mean it. What's happening?" She took a few steps towards the disaster area.

"The chicken's a little well done…" Andrew smiled.

Their mother actually entered the kitchen. Any other mother, seeing her two teenage sons with a fire extinguisher and burnt chicken would freak. Ms. VanDeven simply sighed and shook her head. "Not again."

"Is it bigger than a breadbox?" Mark was laying on the couch in their small bungalow.

"Nope." Andrew was sitting on the floor with his feet and legs on the easy chair.

"Smaller than a breadbox?"

"Nope." Both boys spoke with little to no emotion.

"Is it a breadbox?"

Andrew risked a grin. "Nope."

Mark moved so his head hung off the end of the couch and glared at his brother. "What then?"

Andrew grinned. "A life-size clay statue of a breadbox." There was a thwump as a pillow flew from the couch to the easy-chair.

"Don't break anything!" Their mother warned. "Or you'll be without tv for another week."

Both boys sighed and looked longingly at the television set which was cold and dormant. "This sucks." Mark tossed the other pillow at his brother. "If you hadn't started a fire I could be watching wrestling."

"It wasn't my fault. Someone didn't fix the venty-thing." The pillow was thrown back.

"What venty-thing?" The pillow returned.

"The venty-thing above. That vents." The pillow hit a little harder.

"Boys." Their mother warned.

"We're behaving!" They spoke at the same time. They glared at each other for a second, before both pillows were in the air.

Ms. VanDeven put a hand to her temple as she heard a loud crash. "Dare I ask?"

"Mark did it!"

"'Drew did it!" Once again they spoke in unison.

"NO TV FOR A MONTH!" Their mother yelled.

They couldn't help grinning at each other. "It's because of the lack of tv that the figurine got broken."

They could hear their mothers moan of pain. "Which figurine?"

"The ugly dog." Mark picked up the pieces.

"Oh…" She stopped to think a minute, realizing what her sons were doing. "No tv for month and if another one of my knick-knacks gets broken…I'll break you."

It was an idle threat, their mother hadn't laid a hand on either of them in their lives, but the boys knew the emotions behind the threat was real.

"C'mon." Mark headed for the door to the garage. "It's not smashed too bad. There's some crazy glue in the garage. We could fix it."

"Might get us a sentence reduction>" Andrew pulled himself to his feet.

As they stood over a workbench attempting to fix one of the ugliest glass dogs either of them had ever seen, they got to talking about their plans for Halloween. Andrew playfully nudged Mark, making him mess up the gluing of the dog. "Going trick-or-treating?"

"Look what you did numbskull!" He was tempted to chuck the broken glass at his brother, but managed to refrain himself. "And no. Me and my buds are going down to the river for a party."

Andrew's eyebrows went up. "You ask mom?"

"No, and I'm not planning to. She'd never let me go."

"I'm tempted to not let you go." Andrew peered over his younger siblings shoulder. "A girl died up there last year."

"I know. I do live. I can hear." Mark set what he believed to be a repaired piece of junk down on the workbench to dry.

"Then you do realize this is not the smartest thing you've ever done?" Andrew asked, dead serious. They joked around a lot, but neither of them could imagine life without the other. Even though Andrew was two years older, they were often mistook for twins.

"I know. But it's Halloween and all my friends are going."

Andrew smirked. "That's called peer pressure. Mom had this talk with us."

Mark swatted him. "I'm seventeen. I'm old enough to go to a stupid party."

"And yet you can't figure out super glue." Andrew sadly shook his head and pointed.

The dog was sliding apart. Mark sighed. "That's it. I'm calling it." He checked his watch. "Time of death 9:46 Friday October 30."

Andrew laughed. "You did all you could doctor. It's not your fault."

Mark feigned tears. "Sometimes you just loose them."

"Okay." Their mother stopped them as they made a run for the door. "Where are you really going?"

"We're going to the mall. Why don't you believe us?" Mark feigned innocence.

Their mother didn't raise two boys and not learn a few tricks. "You two…going shopping…alone…no girls…just two guys hanging out at the mall?"

They looked at each other. "Yeah. That's about it."

"I don't believe it." Their mother reached between them and shut the door. "What did you break, misplace or desperately need to replace?"

"You're not very trusting." Mark smirked.

"I gave birth to you. I know something about you." She wasn't budging.

"Mark's going to a party at Candy's tonight. He wants a costume." Andrew quickly covered. He always was a better liar. Mark tried to look convincing.

Ms. VanDeven was smarter than that. "Why didn't you just tell me that in the first place?"

"We wanted to scare you." The fact that Andrew was talking should have given the mother a hint, but she did want them out of the house.

"Fine." She opened the door. "But if I hear of anything other than costume shopping happening at that mall you two are in for it."

"Thanks mom." They both kissed her cheek and took off down the street, trying to get away before she thought of something else.

She stepped out onto the steps to yell after them. "I mean it! I can't afford to pay for another store front glass window!"

"So…" They entered the crowded costume shop. "Something scary or funny?"

"I'm going with whatever they have left." Mark looked around. People were tearing at the racks like their lives depended on it. "We may have missed wrestling last night, but here's a free preview of next week's action."

Andrew smiled. "Better than wrestling." They watched two parents fight over the last witch's hat. "It's done live and it's not staged."

"And yet it manages to be just as violent. How do they do that?" Mark sarcastically remarked as they headed towards a less crowded corner.

They began to browse the shelves, not really seeing much, until Andrew's eyes lit up and he grabbed for a costume. He quickly put it behind his back before his brother could see what it was. He grinned. "If I let you see what's behind my back you have to promise to try it on."

"No way!" Mark wasn't born yesterday. "It's probably a princess costume" He tried to see behind his brothers back, but Andrew was just slightly taller and faster.

"I promise it's a guy costume. Now promise to try it on." He continued grinning and that's probably what worried Mark the most.

Eventually he had to give in though. He needed to know what was so funny. When he saw the costume he knew. He laughed. "Perfect."

"So you'll cover for me with mom?" Mark asked as he examined himself in the mirror.

"Yeah. I'll even pretend to call Candy's and talk to you." Andrew grinned. "That costume is so you."

"I know." He turned once and struck a pose. "I was meaning to ask, why Candy?"

Andrew grinned. "Are you blind? Candy is hot!"

Mark raised a brow. "You're crazy. Jeremy could pummel you."

"Could not."

"Could too."

"Could not."

"Could too."

"Could not."

"Could too."

"BOYS!" Their mother called from the other room. They both grinned.

Andrew surprisingly hugged his brother. "Take care bro."

"I'm only gonna be gone one night." Mark was confused. "But I will."

Andrew grinned. "Have fun."

Off to the party...

Background from All Hallow's Eve Backgrounds.
Pictures from Here (I'll figure out the name...give me time) and Verira's Palace.